by Crystal Dawn
They made it to his room and he opened the door so Annie could go in ahead of him. He closed the door and started removing his clothes. Ram couldn’t get naked fast enough. His inner beast wanted to be skin to skin with his new mate. Nothing else would calm him. Praise the ancestors that Annie was also getting bare or he would have probably shredded her clothing leaving her nothing to wear. He knew for some reason she hated to use magic for convenience.
Ram took two steps and pulled her into his arms. He rubbed himself all over her, probably reminding her of a dog. He couldn’t help himself and he needed his scent to be all over her. She didn’t seem to mind.
“On the bed,” he directed and she immediately got on it.
Ram stood next to the bed looking down at her and his hand stroked his generous cock. “Beautiful,” he whispered and his cock dripped with need.
His mate stared at his cock with need and licked her lips. Yes, he would fill her lovely mouth with his cock, but not right now. Right now, he had a need to drive into her hot, wet core. His beast was going crazy as her ripe, musky scent filled his nose. Moving fast, he threw himself on top of her catching himself so he wouldn’t drop his weight on her.
Someday soon, they would experiment, but now the need to mate was over whelming. “Take me!” Annie cried out. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who felt it.
Lining them up, he slid into her slowly. She was drenched and relaxed. Her body arched up against him and a low moan of pleasure came out of her. “Yes, Baby. You feel so fucking good.”
He tried to hold back, but there was no way. Ram drove into her over and over like a wild animal, but she responded in kind. Her climax was near and he moved harder and deeper to wring it out of her. A tingle ran down his back signaling his own oncoming release. The tingle was getting stronger and he was fighting against it so his mate would release first. Reaching his hand between them, he pinched her clit lightly and she went off like fireworks.
The strongest orgasm he could imagine rolled over him almost making him pass out. He roared like a lion as wave after wave of his seed shot into his lovely mate. Never had he felt so in tune with anyone and the feeling didn’t leave. Their bond had just attained a higher level than before.
“Goddess, that was amazing,” Annie whispered in awe. “Have you ever felt anything like that?”
“Never. But I have a feeling it will be just as good next time. We belong together, Sweetheart. Now and always.” He rolled them over and she lay across his chest. His fingers stroked her back and relaxed her.
Ram couldn’t be happier with the mate the fates had given him. His body slowly relaxed, his breathing eased, his heartbeat calmed, but the blissed out feeling stayed with him. He could get used to feeling this wonderful every day. Annie drifted off to sleep, worn out by their bed play, but Ram wouldn’t have minded playing a bit more.
Phoenix had amazing stamina and Annie’s would increase. She was in good shape for a witch, but her work wasn’t physical. If they moved back to the island of his people, she would have the opportunity for a lot of physical activity. He would want her to go with him when he climbed mountains or went diving in the ocean.
There was nothing he could imagine doing that wouldn’t be more fun with her at his side. He also couldn’t imagine her not being willing to go with him. She was adventurous and willing to try new things. Annie also liked to keep busy and keep moving. He liked all those qualities. Ram couldn’t think of one thing he didn’t like about Annie, except maybe her father.
He realized he didn’t really know him but he seemed harsher than loving. It also seemed like he was arrogant and thought himself above others. This mating for the benefit of their kind was messed up too. Paranormals had fated mates and the first law was to find them. Mating someone else was just unnatural. Annie had recognized that and so did her sisters and her cousin. Good for them, is what Ram thought. The best thing that could happen was for Annie to help them all find their fated mates before her father messed up their lives.
Ram knew they should get up and do something, but it felt so amazing to lie here with his mate touching him. Had he known how incredible it would be, he would have been out actively searching for her ages ago. Would he have ever found her that way? He couldn’t imagine how. It made him thankful she had known how to search for him.
They fell asleep, but Ram woke a couple of hours later. It was too early to stay in bed and they hadn’t eaten supper yet. He woke his mate who looked adorable with her hair disheveled. Ram got up and dressed, although he wasn’t sure what they would do until supper time. Checking his messages, he found one from his parents. They were packed, ready, and would be leaving soon.
Annie was dressed too now and they left the room. “What do you want to do?” He asked.
“Is there some place we can go to do research?” Annie asked.
“Wouldn’t online research be the best to get started?”
“I think you’re right. We can narrow down the libraries that have the most information about paranormals locally.”
“I think you should focus on unicorns and dragons,” Ram suggested.
“Any particular reason why?”
“I have reasons to believe they exist and there is a lot of information out there on them.”
“Okay. Sounds good to me. We should probably work on one at a time anyway,” Annie said and she had her computer set up and her hands flew across the keyboard. “Wow, look at this. It says the last dragon was believed to live in the Himalayas. Why would a dragon go where it’s so cold?”
“Remote and hard to access. That would be the ultimate place to hide,” Ram said as Annie wrote down the possible location.
“I found something on unicorns. It says here they’ve been known to hide in plain sight running with the wild horses in various locations across the globe. This says they can hide their horns with glamour. How will we ever find them?”
“That will make things difficult. Any other kinds they are known to hang out with?”
“It says Pegasus hung out with the Gods. That doesn’t help.”
“Does it mention any in particular?”
“Yes, Hercules.”
“Where do you think you would find him?”
“My best guess would be Greece or Rome. Probably Greece. That’s where the Gods originated.” Annie thought about that a minute and wrote that down. “Dragons were present in a lot of English tales from medieval times.” She wrote that down too. “I don’t feel like this is going well at all.”
“We have some time. Hubolla has had a setback in Miami and local cops have been notified of the activities of a new cult,” Ram explained. “It will limit any progress he hopes to make.”
“That’s good, but we need to crush him completely.”
“My bloodthirsty mate. Who would have thought it?”
“I have no sympathy for evil. They are hurting a lot of people. There is no place for their violence in this world.”
“You are right, but we must plan carefully. Going in unprepared and losing helps no one.”
Annie sighed. “I know, I’m just not a patient witch. Most of the things I do have immediate results. They are something I can see, hear, smell, or touch. Hurry up and wait isn’t my style.”
“I don’t like it either, Sweetheart, but this war is going to teach us all some patience,” Ram pointed out.
They researched some more, finding little that was credible. Annie decided to go home for the night because she had none of her stuff here. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“You’d best bring a bag with you when you come.”
“I will. I’ll try to come early too.”
Ram hated the feeling of walking Annie out to her car knowing she would be driving away. He was already used to the feeling of her sleeping in his arms. She was like a drug he needed and now he would be without for entirely too long.
Since he had nothing to do, he hunted Cam down. “Hey, Buddy. Any ideas to kill some time?”
“No, she went to her parent’s house where all her stuff still is.”
“Sorry. She’ll be back tomorrow.”
“I know. I’ll be glad when we live together.”
“Your parents will be here tomorrow, won’t they? That will speed things along.”
“Can’t happen fast enough to suit me,” Ram admitted.
“I figured you’d be the last of our group to settle down, not the first.”
“That’s what I thought too, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s so wonderful I can’t describe it. There are no words to express how great she makes me feel.”
“I get it, sort of. Why don’t we go to the rec room and play some cards?”
“That sounds good,” Ram agreed and went to the rec room and sat at the game table. Ram went behind the bar and poured them each a beer and brought it to the table while Cam dealt the cards.
“Poker, man.”
“Do you want to bet on the game?”
“Money?”
“What do we need money for?”
“What do you need that you can’t buy?”
“Okay, we’ll play for fun this time.”
About ten hands and several beers later, it was a good time to quit for the night. They’d discussed everything they could think of and they both were looking forward to Ram’s parents coming. Ram and Cam cleaned up the room putting everything back where it belonged.
“Good night, buddy,” Ram said.
“Good night, sleep tight,” Cam replied.
Ram was finally tired enough that he thought he could sleep. Since he smelled like spilled beer, he stripped to take a shower. He wondered what his lovely Annie was doing right now. Was she already asleep or was she in the shower too. Did she think about him and wonder if he was missing her? He was!
Once he was clean and dry, he went to bed, preferring to sleep naked whether his mate was here or not. The only thing different was her luscious and naked body wasn’t in bed with him. Ram hoped he wouldn’t have too many nights alone like this. He grabbed the pillow from her side of the bed and breathed in deeply. There was only a trace of her scent on it, because he was her pillow most of the time.
Sleep came quickly even though he wasn’t expecting it. A good night’s sleep would help him in the next few days, which would be full of political bargaining. Since he and Annie were already mated, they were bargaining from a position of strength. No doubt that would piss her father off.
He woke up early feeling ready to handle whatever came his way. His parents would have his back and Annie was already his. Ram got up and got ready. Breakfast would be available downstairs, but he didn’t know if Annie would be here for it or not. Ram decided to go eat breakfast and he would just sit with her while she ate if she stopped by.
Cam was in the rec room eating so he sat with him. His friend seemed to spend more time there than anywhere else. It didn’t matter since he kept everything running smoothly. Ram fetched himself a plate and piled it high because he suspected once his parents arrived, he would be constantly running to keep up. He ate his breakfast and Annie was a no show, but in all fairness she’d never said she would be there for breakfast. It had just been his hope that she would.
Nite and Dae turned up and he invited them to eat. Even though he was nearly done, he slowed down so his food would last until they were through too. “So, have either of you found out anything on our rare groups?” Ram asked.
“I’m just more firmly convinced they don’t exist,” Nite replied.
“I spoke to a friend who says he knows a unicorn. He’s usually pretty normal so I gave him a message for their leader. He insisted he’d give it to him. It will take a while to hear back. According to Lars, the unicorns are pretty spread out,” Dae explained.
“If he’s being honest, that would help us a lot. Annie and I researched unicorns and dragons last night and all we found were vague hints,” Ram admitted.
“That only makes a person wonder if they just aren’t real,” Nite noted.
“It’s funny that being a werewolf which to humans is mythical, you don’t believe in anything you can’t see, touch, hear, or smell,” Ram observed.
“Not everything that’s written about exists. That’s why we call it fiction,” Nite declared.
“I know at least some of them do exist. It doesn’t matter if you believe in them or not, you’re going to come face to face with some of them. Mark my words,” Ram promised.
It amazed him that she was a detective and she couldn’t stretch her mind to believe in something like, well, him. Maybe that’s why it bugged him so much. Nite was going to be stunned by all she would soon see. He should be glad they had convinced so many that they didn’t exist. The other rare kinds wouldn’t thank them for bringing them out into the open.
When they were all done with eating, they went downstairs to discuss Hubolla and the latest information on where he was trying to take over next. Miami was still in trouble, but he’d had major setbacks. By the time lunch rolled around, they had three areas pinpointed where unusual activities had occurred.
Lunch was being served, when Annie showed up. Ram immediately felt better. She sat next to him as plates were set in front of them. He’d ordered for her again. This time it was cod in butter sauce with rice pilaf. It smelled and tasted amazing. The mood today was quieter than it had been yesterday and everyone concentrated on their food.
Nite and Dae received a call and finished their food in a hurry before saying goodbye and rushing away. “I suppose they had an emergency,” Cam observed.
Ram’s phone buzzed and he checked his texts. “They’re here. The plane just landed. A SUV has already been arranged and they just want us to wait here for them.”
“That’s what they usually do,” Cam remarked.
They finished their meal and cleaned everything up. “What do we do now?” Annie wondered.
“We grab a drink and chill. They’ll be here and it’s best to be ready,” Ram explained. He fixed Annie a mixed drink to help her relax. They sat around talking and sipping on drinks until he got another text. “They’re here and about to come in.”
They all looked to the door, as if expecting it to be thrown open right at that second. It didn’t. Several minutes later, the door finally was opened and a guard stepped through and held it open. A beautiful female came through next, Ram’s mother. His father followed her and Ram was looking at a duplicate of himself, his dad.
They came to the table where Ram, Cam and Annie all stood waiting on them. “Mom, Dad, this is my mate, Annie. Annie, these are my parents.”
“She’s lovely,” Ram’s mom said as she stepped forward and hugged Annie. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you,” Annie said.
Ram’s dad, Aha, stepped up next and gave her a hug too. “Why don’t we sit down and get right to what’s going on here?”
Ram handed his dad a notebook. “That covers the trouble that’s brewing. You’ll also be meeting Annie’s father. He hopes to negotiate for something. I’m not entirely sure what he expects.”
“I’ll talk to him, but he may not get what he wants. This danger on the other hand, looks like it will threaten all of us,” Aha admitted.
“That’s the way I saw it too. They have a prophesy, but no other group seems to have the same one. It seems odd to me,” Ram observed.
“It’s not unheard of for only one seer to foretell an event. Even a big event that will affect the world,” Ram’s mother informed.
“This is my first world changing prophesy. I guess I thought more people would know,” Ram admitted.
“It looks like enough people knew for the word to get out. That’s all that matters,” Aha pointed out.
Chapter 9
The Negotiation
Annie looked at her father and it was clear to all present he wasn’t having a good day. If there were any doubts, the poisonous looks he sent her way would clea
r them up. The look on his face when he had realized Ram had finalized the mating, priceless.
Royal Worthington hated dealing with someone in a superior position. Annie knew that and had expected his bad attitude. What she hadn’t expected was the instant dislike she sensed between her father and Ram’s. More than that, she felt like it was because of her. Her father felt she’d been lured to the dark side and lost all her sense of family loyalty while Ram’s father didn’t like the way her father treated his daughters.
There was nothing she could do to alleviate the emotional undercurrents and if her father had been able to get his way, she and Ram wouldn’t be in the room at all.
“This very much concerns them and my son is staying. If you feel something you plan to say or do during this meeting will distress your daughter, you can ask her to leave.” Aha had said.
Her father had turned beet red. “That’s not why,” He’d insisted. But Annie knew better and so did Ram and his father.
“If that’s all, let’s get down to it,” Ram’s dad directed.
“Very well. What do you offer as a bride price?”
“One hundred thousand dollars.”
Royal laughed. “That might be a fair price for an average bride, but we both know Annie is anything but average. For a female like her, no amount of money would ever be enough.”
“Instead of wasting time, why don’t you just tell me what you’re looking for?” Ram’s father suggested.
“Fine,” Royal said opening his drawer and pulling out a list. “I want full disclosure of your kind. I want unlimited security service and assistance in this war we are all facing. I also want to negotiate for two more items once I find out what you are.”
“Just to make sure we are both clear here, you are aware they are already mated, right?”
Royal made an angry noise. “Yes.”
“If I disclose to you what our kind is, I need some assurance of secrecy.”